Queenstown

Located in New Zealand’s South Island, Queenstown is one of the most stunning places in the World, where the mountains of the majestic Southern Alps descend into Lake Wakatipu. It’s a popular skiing and snowboarding destination with four of the country’s biggest resorts reachable within a short drive from town. Queenstown is also known as New Zealand’s Adventure capital, so down days can still be fun and exhilarating. Spend some time here and you will understand why a lot of Queenstown’s population came as travelers and never left.

Skiing in Queenstown

Queenstown is located on the South Island at a latitude of 45° South. During the Southern hemisphere Winter - June to October, the minimum temperature in town sits around -3°c and drops to -10°c in the mountain ranges. Thus Queenstown resorts are situated high up in the mountains. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the resorts have also invested in snow making machines to keep skiers sliding. New Zealand isn’t known for heavy amounts of snow, so you can expect more blue bird days and generally pleasant skiing weather unless you are in the middle of a storm. 

The ski season intersects with the New Zealand and Australian school holidays which is when the peak busy period is. If you can travel outside these times, accommodation and flights are generally cheaper.

Club Ski Fields

New Zealand has smaller ski fields known as clubbies - which are non-commercial areas run by a dedicated community of riders. You can become a member or pay for guest passes for the day. For those who haven’t been to one you will need to get up to speed on how to use a “nutcracker” on the tow ropes.

Getting to and from the Ski Resorts

Coronet Peak
Car 25mins from Queesntown
Daily ski bus every 30 mins bus from Queenstown

Remarkables
Car 45 mins from Queesntown
Daily ski bus every 30 mins bus from Queenstown

Cardrona
Car 1 hour
Daily ski bus from Queenstown 2 hours
Daily ski bus from Wanaka 50 mins

Treble Cone
Car 1.5 hours from Queesntown
Daily ski bus from Queenstown and Wanaka ~2 hours

Where to Stay in Queenstown

In New Zealand there aren't many options for on resort accommodation. The only choice for ski in / ski out accomodation is in Cardrona and at some of the club fields which have lodges near the base. Travelers usually choose to stay at one of the towns.

Everything you need is in Queenstown. It’s central to the ski fields and has a wide range of accommodation from luxury to capsule hotels, great food, shopping and a happening apres scene. It gets quite busy in the town center during the season, but you can head to the outskirts for a more peaceful stay.
Wanaka which is a 40 min drive from Queenstown is a another option if you plan on skiing Cardrona and Treble Cone. There are Airbnbs, hotels and a growing restaurant scene.

Ski & Snowboard Shops in Queenstown

There are lots of outdoor and dedicated ski and snowboard shops in central Queenstown and Frankton where you can pick up new gear and rentals for your ski trip. The lineup is fresh and the shops here carry all the latest models from the big brands.  

What to Eat in Queenstown

From gourmet burger and pizza joints to fine dining restaurants, the food in Queenstown is top notch.  

Things to do in Queenstown

Queenstown is a year round travel destination with no shortage of activities and hike worthy sights.